Abstract
This chapter outlines the policies and procedures for conduction of hospital autopsies. The described policies and procedures are intended to be compliant with the College of American Pathologists Laboratory Accreditation Program and the ACGME Residency Review Committee requirements for training programs. The chapter contains an explanation of the process for determining involvement with medical–legal authorities. There is a list of standard criteria for establishing validity of the informed consent, followed by procedures for review of the medical history, and determination of need for ancillary clinical laboratory testing. The autopsy procedure is covered from beginning to end, with dissection techniques for removing the organs, examining the organs, and submitting histologic blocks. The discussion includes suggestions for descriptive terminology of gross autopsy findings, with emphasis on describing findings that are in the body before removing the organs. The chapter concludes with a discussion of the final autopsy report, death certificate, and RRC Case Log.
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General References
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Hawley, D. (2011). Autopsy. In: Cheng, L., Bostwick, D. (eds) Essentials of Anatomic Pathology. Springer, New York, NY. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4419-6043-6_8
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4419-6043-6_8
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